This invention relates to devices for venting a surgical cast to be applied to the body of a human or animal.
A variety of different structures and methods have been proposed in the past for providing air ventilation to the skin under a surgical cast. It is known, for example, to provide cast venting devices in the form of a woven fabric with an elongate tube or other such air passageway in contact with the skin and over which the plaster of paris mix casting material can be placed to form the cast. Also, it is known to provide a device for forcing air under the cast, which device may comprise an air pump.
In the applicant""s pending Canadian patent application serial No. 2,254,492 filed Nov. 25, 1998, there is described a surgical cast venting device which comprises an elongate porous woven fabric strip together with a number of flexible, elongate tubes with holes distributed along their respective lengths. These tubes are distributed along the length of and attached to the fabric strip on one side thereof. Each tube extends lengthwise in a direction substantially parallel to this one side. The elongate strip is suitable for winding around part of a human body prior to application of a surgical cast. Although this venting device works satisfactorily, it may be somewhat difficult for some users to use over part of the body that is bent, for example, an elbow or knee. Furthermore, some skill may be required on the part of the medical technician or doctor who is applying this venting device in order to ensure that the device is applied correctly and without undesirable gaps in the device after it has been mounted on the person""s body part or limb.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,656,477 which issued Apr. 18, 1972 to Bobby Thomas et al. describes a ventilation device for use with a medical cast, this device including a stockinette with a series of air vent units secured thereto and arranged at holes formed in the stockinette material. The air vent units are arranged in staggered relationship along rows and are arranged so as to extend through the plaster of paris forming the cast. These air vent units are mounted on the exterior of the stockinette material, which may be in the form of a cylindrical sock.
Earlier U.S. Pat. No. 2,666,207 issued Jan. 19, 1954 to A. Lucas describes a ventilated stocking intended for use inside a shoe or boot and not for use within a medical cast. This known stocking has the configuration of a standard stocking and is open at one end only. Mounted in the stocking material are a number of resilient tubular elements which may be made of rubber or plastic. These elements, which do not extend the length of the stocking, are only open at their opposite ends and they are woven into the stocking material itself.
More recent U.S. Pat. No. 3,307,537 issued Mar. 7, 1967 to G. B. Simon et al. describes a laminated orthopedic cast that includes an inner lamina of soft woven fabric that can be stretched, a central barrier lamina of stretchable material, this lamina being impervious to liquid resin and bonded to the outer surface of the inner lamina, and an outer lamina of fiberglass fabric. The outer lamina is permeated with air dried polyester resin for bonding its inner surface to the outer surface of the inner lamina and rigidizing the cast. This known cast device includes a number of spaced tubular metal eyelets secured through the wall of the laminate by clinching. These eyelets provide ventilation to the body encased in the cast.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved surgical cast venting device made with a stretchable piece of fabric material and at least one aeration device affixed to the inner surface of the material, this device being relatively inexpensive to manufacture and relatively easy to use.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a surgical cast. venting device made with a stretchable piece of fabric material and having one or more aeration devices mounted on an inner surface of the fabric, this device being readily mountable and arranged on a body part, such as a broken limb, and capable of providing ventilation to the patient""s skin area located within a surgical cast applied around the venting device.
According to one aspect of the invention, a surgical cast venting device includes a stretchable piece of porous fabric material having at least some elasticity and a flexible, tubular configuration and a substantial number of plastic tubular members. The piece of fabric has two opposite ends, which are open, and has an inner surface. The tubular members are distributed over, affixed to, and located on the inner surface of the piece of fabric. Each tubular member is open ended at both ends thereof. The venting device is adapted for placement around part of a human body or animal body prior to application of a surgical cast over this part of the body.
Preferably, the plastic tubular members are elongate and are adhesively bonded to the fabric material. These tubular members extend in a longitudinal direction relative to the fabric material, which has a length extending from one open end thereof to the opposite open end.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the fabric material is stockinet.
According to another aspect of the invention, a surgical cast venting device includes a stretchable piece of fabric material having at least some elasticity, having two opposite ends and two opposite side edges, and having inner and outer surfaces. At least one aerating device is affixed to and located on the inner surface. Hook and loop type flexible fastener strips are affixed to the two opposite side edges and are arranged for detachable connection to one another in order to form the piece of fabric material into a tubular configuration or a portion of a tubular configuration. This venting device is adapted for placement around part of a human body or animal body prior to application of a surgical cast over this part of the body.
Preferably, the at least one aerating device is made of plastic and is adhesively bonded to the piece of fabric material.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a surgical cast venting device includes a stretchable piece of fabric material having at least some elasticity and a substantially tubular configuration. This piece has two opposite ends and an inner surface. The device further includes at least several, separate elongate plastic tubular members distributed over and affixed to the inner surface. These tubular members each are open ended at at least one end and have at least several ventilation holes formed in the tubular side thereof. These tubular members extend substantially from one of the opposite ends to the other of the opposite ends of the fabric material. This venting device is adapted for placement around part of a human body or animal body prior to application of a surgical cast over this part of the body.
Further features and advantages of the surgical cast venting device of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.